Sunday, November 9, 2014

#187 November 9, 2014- Behavior, Climate and Learning

Behavior
and Learning. . .

The past few weeks have
seen an outpouring of commentary about behavior, school climate and the new
MMSD Behavior Education Plan.The
discussion and comments have been passionate and have shown the wide range of
feelings and beliefs about the current state of MMSD.The issues around behavior, discipline,
school climate and student learning are ones that touch on very complex,
challenging and highly emotional topics.They are present in every school across America and have roots that go deep
into our society's history.While it is
possible to be analytical with many topics, issues around student behavior push
challenge us beyond an intellectual level and strike at our core attitudes and
beliefs.

Keeping that in mind, it
is important to remember that the views expressed here are my own.While I have talked to many people, and have
been a part of discussions at many levels, I can only speak for myself and
articulate what I believe and what I hope happens as we continue the discussion
about this topic.The discussions that
we have around behavior, discipline and learning are at the very center of our
conversations about public education.If
we are to move ahead and realize the potential that public education has for
our society, we need to have real dialog about these issues.

Having a real conversation
about emotional topics like these are made even more difficult by a number of
factors.We are not talking about some
ambiguous product or philosophy, we are dealing with issues that impact our
most important resource, our nation's children.Discussions about our children are filled with powerful emotions and
strong feelings.

We also have a climate
around education that is filled with controversy, and with individuals/groups
that have ulterior motivation in their words and actions.While we would hope that everyone enters the
discussion with the best interests of all parties, the reality is that everyone
involved has an agenda or interest to advance.Whether it is simply to get what is best for an individual's own child,
to advocate for others, to push for a
specific issue, or to improve one's political or economic standing, the result
is a competing mix of agendas and interests.There is also significant misinformation that exists about our schools
and our students.Assumptions are made,
and they are often based on incomplete or inaccurate information.

The media has a role in
all of this as well.Whether the
mainstream press, or social media, the tone of the discussion, and the message
that the general public gets is set by how issues are presented.Anyone who has attended an event, or
participated in any action know that there are always multiple points made, and
subsequently multiple perspectives of what was said.What is emphasized in the reporting and
discussion can often become the story and overshadow the original message
presented.The media will spin their
coverage on an issue to stir up conflict and controversy, often in ways that
aren't productive.We also see the
effect that a small number of people can have on the conversations that occur
in the social media, and these comments are rarely positive or productive.

As if these challenges
weren't enough, we also must remember that our conversation occurs in a broader
social context.There are historical
factors that play into our opinions and feelings about our public schools.There are also current events that have an
impact.Our public schools are a
microcosm of our society as a whole, and our struggles to provide equity and
opportunity in them are a symptom of the challenges that we face as an entire
society.We must factor in the emotional
toll that the bitter struggles occurring in Wisconsin in recent years have taken.We can clearly see the effect that stress and
trauma have had on our schools and on those who support the efforts to educate
all students.The toxic political
climate and the historical conflicts combine to hamper our efforts to move
forward.This climate undermines the
trust that is necessary to move ahead in a positive, productive way.

In my opinion this is
clearly what has happened in our discussions about our public schools in
general and more specifically issues around behavior and discipline.While we can't ever completely separate the
issues from their social, political and economic contexts, and we certainly
can't ignore the impact that race, gender and social class have on our
opinions, it is important that we do our best to look towards the future and
begin to look at what our schools can do for all students.We must do this while recognizing that we
have a lot to overcome, but the importance of our work has never been
greater.

While it is one thing to
talk about the current social, political and economic climate or the historical
context that our public schools fit into, it is a very different thing to talk
about specific issues in our schools.We
know that we face some very serious issues, and we know that our responses to
these issues do not occur in a vacuum.We
need to find ways to have debate and discussion that incorporates the concerns
of all involved, and that moves our systems and policies forward so that all
students, staff, family and community members feel safe and connected to a
school that provides equitable opportunities.

I should start this
discussion by emphasizing a few points.I am a firm believer in the power of our public schools.I am committed to the success of the school
district that I work in and am extremely proud of the efforts of all the
parties involved in our schools.My
family has deep roots in my community's schools and have been involved in them
for about 50 years either as an employee or as a student.I also recognize that there are some serious
challenges that my community's schools face and some very difficult work that
needs to be done.We need to begin to
engage in dialog around issues of behavior and school climate in some very real
and immediate ways.

To that end, I, along with
many other educators went to speak to our school board about concerns that
exist.There is a broader context here
that revolves around efforts to change our discipline policies from a more
punitive system to one based on restorative practices.This change is important to many members of
our community, and is one that most educators embrace as well.Yet, at the same time we know that there are
situations that arise that are difficult to navigate, and that impact the
safety of staff and students.Unfortunately,
the media chose to present our comments in the context of protesting the policy
changes instead of looking at the real issues that were raised.We can't move forward when we are looking to
blame individuals, groups or policies.Instead, we need to realistically assess what is happening on a case by
case basis and provide the supports necessary to address concerns that
arise.

Teachers support the district's new behavior plan, but say
implementation is a challenge.

m.host.madison.com|By Molly Beck |
Wisconsin State Journal

The controversy that has
emerged from this can only serve to distract us from the real message that was
delivered to the board, and to the specific work that needs to be done in our
schools.We know that safety and stress
are two of the most important factors involved in achievement.Anyone, no matter what the learning or
working environment, must have their basic needs met, and no one works or
learns well when anxious, apprehensive or afraid.

Raising concerns about
safety and climate are difficult because the impression emerges that our
schools are unsafe and dangerous places.Nothing could be further from the reality that most of our staff and
students experience.The simple fact is
that most students and staff work and learn in a climate that is conducive to
learning.However, at the same time
there are issues and situations that arise that disrupt our classrooms and put
stresses on those working and learning in our schools.Policies and data are important to help guide
our efforts to maximize safety, but they are only one part of the process.The important work around school climate and
learning has always happened in classrooms at the school level.

According to the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD)
website, the Behavior Education Plan (BEP) that was approved in March of 2014
"moves our district away from a code of conduct based on a...

runningreflectionswi.com

It is at the building
level where the frustrations exist.Once
again, few educators are speaking against the policy changes.In fact, a vast majority of us want to see
these changes made, and want to work with our administrators and families to
see a shift in how we discipline our students.We recognize the fact that change needs to happen so that all of our
students can achieve at their highest possible level.We deeply care about all our students and
this is why the outpouring of pain and anguish is so intense.If we didn't care so much about making positive
change happen, then we wouldn't see the high levels of stress and anxiety that
currently exist in our profession.

This also makes the public
responses about our concerns more painful to hear.The message from educators is that we need
support to make sure that changes in discipline practices are implemented
effectively.We know that we need to
make changes and want to move forward, not focus on past injustices (while
still recognizing the impact that they have on our current situation).

One in a series of
occasional essays on race in Madison
by a local leader and former Urban League president.

host.madison.com|By KALEEM
CAIRE | local columnist

So, if the message isn't
against the new BEP, or against restorative practices, what is the message that
the administration and community should hear from educators?

Restorative Practices and Building Relationships
Take Time-It seems like common sense, but is often ignored.Everything that we do in the effort to
educate our students involves time.We
need to have time to address student needs as they arise, and give students
time to process and learn as they grow and mature as learners and people.

It is difficult to forge
strong relationships in an environment where one adult is working with a large
number of students.The needs that our
students have for personal connections can't be addressed in a busy classroom
where competition for attention is "fierce" and some issues need a
more individualized approach.All of our
students deserve our full attention.Simple math shows that in a classroom of 25 students with one educator,
there are only about 15 minutes available per student over a 7 hour day
(assuming no breaks, recess, lunch, art/music/PE).We also know that some students simply need
more attention.Often these are our students
who are struggling emotionally, behaviorally and not surprisingly,
academically.

Education is Labor Intensive- We may want to pawn off our responsibilities to
technological fixes, or to programs that are supposed to increase achievement,
but in the end, it is the work that trained professionals do in classrooms that
make the difference.To that end, we
need to make sure that we have adequate numbers of well trained staff in our
buildings.We also need to make sure
that they are in situations that allow them to use their expertise.Too many of our specialists are being forced,
by staffing shortages, to do tasks that don't allow them to use their
professional training, or to be directly involved in supporting our students in
real, meaningful ways.

They never tell you in teacher school, and it's rarely
discussed elsewhere. It is never, ever portrayed in movies and tv shows about
teaching. Teachers rarely bring it up around non-teachers for fear it will make
us look weak or inadequate....

huffingtonpost.com

Education done well is not cheap- We need to put our money where it is needed in
order to insure the future successes of our society.

Misbehave, get punished. That pretty much sums up the
approach to “disciplining” students that educators through the decades have
taken in schools and classrooms. The most extreme form of this law-and-order
strategy is zero...

rethinkingschools.org

Connections with Families and the Community is
Vital- As a whole, the public
schools need to do a better job of communicating and connecting with the
communities they are embedded in.This
is challenging in some ways, and any relationship building is also a two-way
street, but the payoffs are huge.Once
again, these connections can only be successful if people to people contact is
made.This takes time and
peoplepower.We can't rely on
electronic, or paper communications to build our connections.

New research finds that parental involvement is a more
significant factor in a child's academic...

sciencedaily.com

We are asking too much, and often the wrong things,
from our schools.Public education can't
singlehandedly fix our society's problems.There are too many initiatives and directives aimed at
"improving" our schools that actually do more harm than good.The
laundry list of "reforms" has raised the stress level, damaged
relationships between administration, staff, students and the community, and in
general set public education back instead of moving us forward.These continued attacks have undermined
public trust in our schools and made forging positive relationships more
difficult.

Increased
"accountability" through standards and assessments is often misguided
and harmful.

With more voices saying tests have become disruptive to
learning, a widespread discussion has ensued about the number, type and
usefulness of tests...

jsonline.com|By Erin Richards

Attacks on educators
through misleading evaluations, elimination of collective bargaining, or other
means have decimated staff morale.Educators are traumatized by the assaults on their profession and this
has an inevitable impact on their ability to support their students and families.

We know that there are students who have needs that
go beyond "simple" education. We need to provide for their needs, and respectfully support these
students and their families.Our schools
can't provide all the supports that are needed and we must partner with
existing resources to work with our students and their families.

Claire, as a fellow soccer mom, I'm officially asking for an
apology. Your Insane Asylum of Horror, had you let it stand, would truly have
been the most frightening...

www.huffingtonpost.com

We must own our history and the reality that
currently exists in Madison.
We know that there is a huge
disparity in all aspects of the lives of residents in Dane County
and that race has a huge impact on the quality of life that is
experienced.There are many reasons for
this, but in the end the simple truth is that we must do better for everyone in
our district.

Surprisingly, most of the places on our list are not in the
racially regressive South.

www.theroot.com|By Danielle C. Belton

At the same time, the
issues that we are talking about have an impact on everyone and are not
restricted to any specific demographic.While we must pay extra attention to different groups in our schools, we
also must acknowledge the challenges that everyone faces and work together to
improve our schools.

In the end, the
conversations won't get any easier.We
will still have students with significant needs in our classrooms, and their
needs will influence the environment that all students and staff learn and work
in.Safety and climate will cause us
stress, frustration and challenge us to become better as a profession and as a
society.What matters is that we engage
in dialog that is respectful, yet direct.That we have discussions that move us forward and build relationships
between individuals and groups and that break down barriers instead of
strengthening them.We all need to be a
part of this dialog.

As we participate in these
conversations we must aggressively respond to the challenges that we face, and
to the outside forces that seek to manipulate our schools to further their own
agendas.Everyone involved in our public
education system wants to have schools that are safe, positive, caring
environments for all who work and learn in our schools.It is up to us to make that happen, no matter
what the challenges may be.

Despite missing two runners injured in car crash, Madison
Memorial rides a wave of emotion and support to a strong finish

m.host.madison.com|By Dennis Semrau |
Wisconsin State Journal

The Bad . . . The news from around the nation wasn't good for Progressives.We need to rebuild, reorganize and
re-energize as we prepare for the future.This will be made more difficult as Conservatives work to implement more
restrictions on voting and further deregulate campaign financing.

In Florida, North Carolina, Kansas,
and Virginia,
"the margin of victory came very close to the likely margin of disenfranchisement."

motherjones.com

The Ugly . . . The idea of a "more aggressive" Scott Walker is simply
terrifying.The disappointment of losing
a hard fought election is compounded by the fact that so many voters failed to
show up at the polls yet again.